KARACHI, Aug 11: A record number of over 30 robberies and hold-ups were committed in just one lane of the PECHS Block 2, having only 14 houses, in the last one month.

People residing in the vicinity of Tariq Road’s main commercial area complained that although there has been a spate of robberies in their lane Nos 134 and 135, the police have, so far, failed to take measures to prevent the hold-ups and robberies despite a number of complaints lodged with them.

Giving details of the robberies, the residents of the locality said one person was deprived of Rs400,000 when he was entering his house; Rs250,000 were looted from another resident of the lane; a young girl was forced to hand over her jewellery to bandits when she was alighting from her car, and a new Mehran car was hijacked by some armed men.

Moreover, thefts of tape recorders, radio, air-conditioners, wheels and other valuable accessories from parked vehicles have become a matter of routine, they said, adding that in most of the cases, young men, often riding on motorcycles, were seen committing the robberies.

Asked whether they had reported these crimes to the area police, the residents said they had submitted a written complaint to the SHO of Ferozabad police station on Aug 7, but it was shocking that on Aug 9 the daughter of a lawyer was robbed of her jewellery by some young armed men.

Getting perturbed over the frequent robberies, a delegation of the residents met the DSP of Ferozabad police, Ali Raza, the same day to apprise him of the frequent robberies being committed in the area.

The DSP, who gave us a sympathetic hearing, told us that “the Ferozabad police station has only four mobile vans at its disposal. One of them is usually used for administration purposes, another for providing security to religious leaders of the locality, the third is currently at the disposal of Frere police station, while the remaining one keeps on patrolling the sprawling PECHS area.” The DSP, however, assured us that a policeman, who would be provided a motorcycle, would be asked to patrol the area to prevent such crimes, they added.